Earlier this year, Brad Juliette was on the verge of selling his last two Roy’s Convenience Stores to another Missouri-based independent retailer. Getting both sentimental and practical about the future, Juliette, a c-store and grocery veteran, backed away from the deal and opted to double down on c-store retailing.
Now, the owner of Caledonia, Missouri-based Roy’s Convenience and Juliette Property and Investment Inc. is committed to serving the local Missouri region with Roy’s for the long haul. Bullish on convenience, Juliette is also armed with a host of alternative business ventures to oversee.
The latest one is A Boy’s Dream Hobby Shop, a sports memorabilia and card store situated on the same 20-acre footprint as his Caledonia c-store—along with a car wash, dollar store and live-in rental property.
On retaining Roy’s Convenience Stores, which once consisted of nine Missouri-based locations, Juliette and wife and business partner, Kelly Juliette, were compelled to remain involved in c-store retailing.
“This winter, I sat down in the meeting with Royalz Group (LLC) and reached a verbal agreement on the deal (for $3.5 million) and couldn’t go through with it,” said Juliette, who had sold seven Roy’s units to Royalz in late 2021.
“I felt that if I sold, that I’d let a lot of people down. Now, we’re getting ready to celebrate our 17th year anniversary of owning this brand,” said Juliette, who entered the c-store industry after years with the Country Mart supermarket chain.
When Juliette considered exiting the c-store industry earlier this year, the decision was partially influenced by the intense growth of local competition encroaching upon smaller local businesses.
To no surprise, Walmart was one threat. “They had started delivering food and groceries to customers, which we viewed as a threat to our competitive advantage,” he said. “It prompted me to think about getting out. But my banker made a great point: he told me there’s always going to be a place for a small-town, quick-stop convenience store,” said Juliette, whose Caledonia store is 3,000 square feet, with a Belgrade location about half that size.
Alternate revenue streams
There is also room for a sports memorabilia store in a state that’s fanatical about its high school, college and pro sports. That’s where A Boy’s Dream Hobby Shop comes in.
Opening a sports memorabilia store has been one of Juliette’s life-long dreams. Debuting in April 2024 on a footprint that once served as his home office, the space was gutted and rehabbed and is now known for its hobby packs, sports memorabilia and much more. Notable past and present St, Louis Cardinals and Blues athletes participate in autograph signings once a month, creating some additional buzz.
“The c-store business opened up a lot of doors for us to do this: I’ve networked a lot over the years with a lot of folks to make this dream possible,” said Juliette, who is on pace to generate $1 million in sales this year at Hobby Shop.
People who’ve been instrumental in making Hobby Shop an early success include store manager T.J. Wilkeson, and Clyde and Bettina Woolbright, owners of St. Louis-based Dogtown Sports Collectibles, Framing & Engraving. The couple oversees the framing of memorabilia at Hobby Shop and also help arrange baseball players to participate in autograph signings.
Advocate of local business
Over the years, Juliette, who acquired Ken’s One Stop in 2008 before converting the brand to Roy’s—so named for his grandfather—has fielded a handful of suitors for various stores. One uncompromising stipulation made him turn them down: He wanted any new owner to retain all his employees at the acquired stores. But all potential buyers couldn’t provide that assurance.
When Royalz Group pledged to abide, Juliette agreed to sell the first seven stores. The final two stores were another matter.
“Royalz was the fourth party that tried to buy our stores over the years, and I finally relented (to the first seven),” said Juliette. “The key was finding someone who would promise to keep those employees on board. I wanted to avoid any upheaval with staff layoffs, which would have been devastating to these folks.”
The 20-acre Caledonia tract is a hub of activity—and the synergy between the c-store is apparent. Hobby Shop sports memorabilia customers can readily hit Roy’s for food, snacks, staples and fuel. The c-store side of the business has been deftly managed for years by Michelle Beers.
On the foodservice side, there’s a lot to offer, with Hunt Brothers pizza serving as the top brand. Juliette also offers a host of non-branded food options, including chicken and deli meats—all helping generate $12,000 a week in sales at Caledonia, he said
Juliette has executed several shrewd business decisions over the years, leveraging his various business ventures. One example: “If people pay their rent on time on the first of the month at our live-in rentals, we award them a $25 gift card to spend at Roy’s or elsewhere. It’s incentivized most people to pay on time,” he said.
Meantime, the Juliettes are on time and on budget, with room to build and grow.
In the future, their plan is to expand Hobby Shop and more. “We’re thinking about knocking out a wall to expand it, explore other commercial ventures that make sense and travel,” said Kelly Juliette.
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